Metal and Scales
by hervissa
Summary: X-Men: The Last Stand - Truck Scene alias How It Really Happened. Written simply because I don't think Eric would leave Raven like that. Magneto/Mystique


**A/N: I don't know about you, but I certainly didn't like the truck scene in X3 - TLS. Like, Eric would NEVER leave Mystique behind.**

**So here I present to you MY version of the events :)**

**Enjoyyyy :3**

**Update 7/10/2013: I re-did this story a little, corrected some grammar mistakes and added a few tiny bits. Hope it'll improve it :D**

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**Metal and Scales**

They lay together in the bed, moonlight shining trough the window. Eric gently stroked blue scales on Raven's arm and though about what he heard about the cure. It was just too...crazy to actually work. Curing mutation? It wasn't a disease! It was something the mutants were born with! How _dare _humans do something like that? Gritting his teeth, Eric realized all the metal in the room was vibrating and shaking. Closing his eyes, he let everything calm down.  
Everything apart from his own mind.  
Angry thoughts still swirled around in his head. And then Magneto felt a hand on his cheek. Opening his eyes, his blue gaze met Mystique's yellow one. The emotions pouring from her eyes wre enough to bring him peace once again.

How was it that she always calmed him down, gave him strenght to still fight? She was one of the most important things in his life, along with his children. Eric had no idea what would he do without her.

"Eric?" Raven's voice broke his thoughts.

"Hmm?"

„What if the cure really exists? How do you want to stop it?"

Silence.

"By destroying the source," answered Eric finally.

He could almost see how Raven thought about all possibilities how to achieve that goal.

However, the question she asked next met him unprepared.

"And what if someone will get hit? What if _we'll_ get hit?"

Eric froze. Of course he thought about the possibility of weapons with the cure. After all, humans made _everything_into weapons. But he didn't - he wouldn't - he _couldn't_ imagine himself or Raven without their powers. He had all metal in the world at his command, it was basically impossible for him to get shot.  
And Raven was too fast, too agile, too clever to ever get into such danger.

But still, the possibility was there. And he should be prepared for that.

"If that would happen to you, I promise I wouldn't leave you. I couldn't. I love you too much, Raven."

Eric saw a hint of relief in her eyes and knew that this was her biggest fear: being _normal_ and alone because of it. He reached to her and stroke her blue, scaled cheek.

"Love you too," Mystique whispered.

And Eric understood what she meant - _I won't leave you too. No matter what will happen to us._

He smiled and planted a light kiss on her lips. His blue, ice-cold eyes showed as much care and love as they did so many years ago when he first kissed her...and all the days after that

As they did only for her.

**oOoOo**

Raven fell on the floor of the truck, shaking and trembling as the cure destroyed the X-gene in her body.

"You...saved me," whispered Magneto. In his eyes was fear and worry, something that was very rare for him. Raven, with the last of her blue scales quickly disappearing from her body, reached with her hand to him: "Eric..."

Kneeling down, Magneto took off his cape and covered her quickly, avared of the stares of the other mutants in the truck. With single wave of his hand, he threw them out of the truck. Then he closed the ramp and turned back to Mystique, who haven't moved an inch, still looking in disbelief on her hand, which was now light pink.

He hugged her tightly and murmured: "I'm not gonna leave you here, Raven. I'll keep my promise." She turned her eyes on him - blue eyes, not golden, the warm gold! - and Eric saw the fear in them, too much of it.

"What are you going to do with me, Eric? I'm..._normal_." She spat the word like a poison and he saw something in her eyes, something he couldn't recognize. Not caring about it right now, he said reassuringly: "We'll find some antidote. Or I'll get some mutant healer. Or I will make Dr. Strange take us to some other dimense in which everything returns to its basics."

Magneto had no idea what kind of bullshit was he saying, but all that mattered was that he had to tell her he won't leave her. Never.

Raven bit her lip and her eyes hardened with determination."Leave me here."  
Eric frowned: „What? I'll not do that, and you know it!" He wondered what did she want to do. "I can pretend that you left me here and give them some false information. Like...if you can get everyone out of the camp, I'll tell them where it is and they will go there and you will have more time to do what is neccessary. Or something like that. I want to be useful, not to be looked at like I'm a cripple."

Magneto only stared. Yes, what Raven said was truth, and having her inside the goverment like a broken woman could help him in a way, but...it was wrong. He couldn't do that.

Almost like knowing his thoughts - which was basically true -, Raven said: "Eric...I know it's hard for you, but it will help everyone. Don't worry, humans will take a care of me. After all, I have valuable informations. Like what colour of boxers do you wear."

"Raven, Raven. You got hit by the cure and you're still joking."

"Look, there is surely some spare uniform and a lunch pack or something like that in here, so don't worry, I'll be okay. Really."

Magneto sighed. He didn't like it. He didn't want be without her. Not in these times. But she was right...as usually.

„Alright. But promise me something: you'll find me. No matter if we'll win or lose, if I'll be dying or king of the world, you'll come back to me. Please," he added softly. Raven smiled: „Of course I will. Now go. You have an army to move." Seeing as he was still hesitant, she stood up, took his cape off her shoulders and gave it back to him.

"Go, Eric. I'll be okay."

Magneto hugged her again and the he pulled her into a deep kiss. "Don't forget: find me," he said and then, with a last look back, he opened the ramp again and flew out, his cape billowing after him.

He still looked sexy doing that, even after all those years.

The mutants he saved took a van which has previously accompanied the truck and went after him.

And then he was gone.

**oOoOo**

When was Raven sure she was truly alone in the middle of nowhere, she concentrated with all her will and tried to change, to at least get back her beautiful scales, but nothing happened.  
Her skin was stil ugly pink - no more blue! - and smooth. Her hair were dark black, like the wings of a raven - no more Mystique! - instead of bright red.  
Raven sat down on the floor, leaned against the metal wall and finally let the tears out.

She was crying like she never did, more than she cried for Charles, more than she did when she left her only son at the stairs of the circus. Because even though Charles was shot, he was alive. And even though it hurt to leave her child, she knew he will be okay. And he was - she saw it for herself.

She never cried in front of Eric. She had to be strong for him.

And Raven realized she had to be strong even now, just because there was nothing else she could do.

No more _mutant and proud._ Now she was normal_._ And the only thing she wished more than to be with Eric was to be different.

_Normal._

**oOoOo**

Magneto felt the darts injecting poison which humans called "cure" into his body. He fell on the fround, his helmet falling of his head. With his trembling hand he ripped the sharp projectiles out and whispered: „I'm..." Wolverine, standing above him, finished the sentence: „...like them. Yeah."

Angry and tired and desperate and having enough of all the things he had to suffer through because of humans, Magneto turned to Phoenix, who was still standing on the edge of the bridge and looking on the scene on the island with a bored expression, and shouted: "Do you see? This is what they want to do with all of us!" She just lifted an eyebrow a little, but then turned her stare on Wolverine.

Caring no more about Eric, Logan shouted on Phoenix: "Jean! It's over!" He wanted to say something else, but soldiers appeared all around Jean and took aim.

And even though Wolverine yelled "DON'T SHOOT!", they've already fired.

All the darts stopped in the midair and then Phoenix's eyes went black.

The air was vibrating with raw power as she turned both darts and soldiers into ash.

And then hell began. Cars exploding, humans vaporing into thin air, and in the middle of it Phoenix, not holding back for even a second.

„What have I done?" asked Eric himself silently.

He saw Wolverine talking to Storm, who had a worried look on her face. She put her hand on his shoulder and said something. Logan simply nodded and then she ran away, probably to gather the rest of the X-Men. The feral mutant sighed heavily and turned to Phoenix, standing on an improvised pyramid built from everything that lay around.

With a loud SNIKT Wolverine ejected all of his claws and slowly walked to Phoenix. She concentrated on him with her full power, tearing him apart, destroying him so much the adamantium was easily visible trough his flesh.

And yet he regenerated and walked on.

After what seemed like eternity, Logan reached Phoenix. They exchanged a few sentences, which Magneto didn't hear, and then Logan stabbed Phoenix trough the stomach to chest.

_Fastest way to shut down lungs and heart_, thought Magneto. He watched as the Phoenix died, bird of flames around her, and all of sudden, he remembered one of his conversations with Charles, back when they both tried to fully understand the cosmic entity inside Jean: _„Phoenix Force can't die. It always returns. Or at least that's what always happened." _

It looked like in the Xavier Institute they will have an unwanted surprise someday...not that it affected him in any way. Magneto was gone.

And he turned around and walked into the night, helmet in his hand.

**oOoOo**

In a park, an old man sat at the chess table and stared on the game pieces. He thought about the times when chess were his biggest hobby, his games with Charles, moving the figuers with his mind...for two months, he came here everyday, sometimes - very rarely - played a game with someone, usually won, and then just sat and let his mind wander.

No longer he had an elegant suit with billowing cape and a precious helmet on his head.

Now it was a flanel shirt with a vest on it and a cap on his head.

Each day he tried to move the metal pieces, but nothing happened. He could _feel _the metal, all around him, but he couldn't do anything with it.

It was frustrating.

Today he felt a little...different. Maybe it was from a good-night sleep, if he could have something like that in his little flat, maybe it was the sunny weather. He closed his eyes. _As Charles always told me...just calm your mind,_ he thought. And then he felt something.

A familiar sense in his brain.

Could it be-?

Could the...cure wear off?

He opened his eyes and reached with his hand to the chess, like he would make a move.

He concentrated with all his willpower and-

One piece, the queen, moved.

It was unbelievable, it was crazy, but...it was amazing.

He tried once more and the queen slowly flew from its place to the next side of the board.

Eric felt a smile spreading across his face. He was back. He was once again the better man, _Homo superior,_ the evolution.

A shadow fell on the board.

"Nice move."

At first he thought that it's someone who wants a game, but when he lifted his head, there stood a black-haired woman in bussines suit.

"Raven," Eric whispered. He felt a big weigh falling off his heart, all his fears suddenly melted away, just with the look in her eyes.

She sat across him and reached to him with her hand.

He took it and his smile grew even bigger.

Because on her hand, he felt scales.

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**Did you like it? If yes, then waste another minute of your time and leave me a review...it's wonderful feeling to read them :)**

**Thanks for reading!**

**~hervissa**


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